Chopda Pujan and Sharda Puja on Diwali, and Bestu Varas the next day: the account-book tradition explained
For many Gujarati families and business owners, Diwali night is when the new account books are blessed, and the Gujarati New Year follows on Kartik Shukla Pratipada. Here is what Chopda Pujan and Sharda Puja involve, and the 2026 dates.
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Checked by an AI-assisted fact-check on 24 October 2026. Human review by Abhishek Kumar: pending. Fact-checked against the cited sources. Not yet reviewed by a pandit.
What is Chopda Pujan, and how does it connect to the Gujarati New Year? Chopda Pujan is the Diwali-night Lakshmi Puja as many Gujarati business families keep it: new account books (chopda) are placed before Lakshmi, Ganesha and Sharda and blessed for the year ahead. Drik Panchang says Diwali's Lakshmi Puja is better known as Chopda Puja in Gujarat, and that Sharda Puja is often used as another name for the same observance there. The Gujarati New Year, Bestu Varas, follows on Kartik Shukla Pratipada. In 2026 that means Chopda Pujan and Sharda Puja on Sunday 8 November and Bestu Varas on Tuesday 10 November (New Delhi dates).
What "chopda" means
A chopda (also written chopada) is a traditional account book. Drik Panchang describes the puja as a business ritual asking for blessings on the coming year's finances, and notes that Hindu business communities in Rajasthan and Maharashtra keep it too. Other names it gives are Muhurat Pujan and Chopada Pujan.
The idea is simple. The old year's books are closed, and the first pages of the new books are sanctified before any entry is made. GKToday's note on Bestu Varas describes traders closing old books and opening new ones the day before the new year, drawing a swastika and writing "shubh labh" on them.
Why Sharda is worshipped as well
Sharda is a name of Saraswati, the goddess of knowledge and learning. Drik Panchang's Sharda Puja page explains the pairing this way: Lakshmi is the main deity of Diwali, but Sharda and Ganesha are given equal importance, because wealth is traditionally believed to need wisdom to last. That is why many Diwali posters and clay sets show all three together.
The same page notes that students also pray to Sharda on this day for their studies, so the puja is not only for shopkeepers. Any family with books, notebooks or a ledger of its own may include them.
What usually happens at a Chopda Pujan
Practice varies by family, community and priest, so treat this as an outline rather than a rule. Customs vary by family and region; your family pandit's guidance comes first.
- The new books (or the laptop used for accounts) are placed before Lakshmi, Ganesha and Sharda.
- Auspicious marks are drawn on the first page. Swastika and "shubh labh" are the ones the sources mention most often.
- Ganesha is worshipped first, then Lakshmi and Sharda, with the usual offerings of kumkum, rice, flowers and sweets.
- The books are kept closed for normal business until the family's chosen time to begin entries.
Laptops instead of ledgers
Most businesses now keep accounts on computers. Drik Panchang notes that many owners worship the laptop as the chopda, drawing a swastika, Om and "shubh labh" at the top of the screen. If you do this, a sticker or a paper card on the closed lid is a sensible alternative to marking the screen itself.
Choghadiya or Pradosh?
Here the sources differ, and it is worth knowing why. Drik Panchang's Chopda Puja page says Gujarati families prefer to perform it in an auspicious Choghadiya on Diwali (Amrit, Shubh, Labh or Char). The same publisher's Lakshmi Puja page advises the Pradosh Kaal window with a fixed lagna and says Choghadiya is better suited to travel. Both are living conventions. Follow your family or community priest. If you have no guidance, the general Lakshmi Puja windows in the companion post diwali-2026-date-lakshmi-puja-muhurat-by-city are a reasonable starting point.
2026 dates
These are Drik Panchang's dates for New Delhi, cross-checked against ProperPandit's own calculations.
| Observance | 2026 date (New Delhi) |
|---|---|
| Chopda Puja, Sharda Puja, Lakshmi Puja | Sun 8 Nov |
| Diwali Snan / Devpuja (Amavasya) | Mon 9 Nov |
| Gujarati New Year (Bestu Varas), Govardhan Puja | Tue 10 Nov |
| Bhai Dooj | Wed 11 Nov |
Amavasya runs from 11:27 AM IST on 8 November (Drik Panchang; our own calculation gives 11:28) to 12:31 PM IST on 9 November, and Pratipada runs until 2:00 PM IST on 10 November. In New Delhi, Drik gives the Lakshmi Puja muhurat as 5:54 to 7:50 PM and Pradosh as 5:31 to 8:09 PM on 8 November. In Mumbai the muhurat is 6:27 to 8:27 PM.
These timings are for those cities only. Check your own city on /panchang, and remember that your temple or family tradition may set a different time.
The stock market's version
The custom also shows up on India's stock exchanges. Business Today reports that NSE and BSE will hold the Muhurat Trading session on Sunday 8 November 2026 from 2:20 to 3:30 PM IST. BSE began the practice in 1957 and NSE in 1992.
Bestu Varas, the day after
Bestu Varas falls on Pratipada of the bright half of Kartik. GKToday notes that it coincides with Govardhan Puja and that the whole day is treated as auspicious. Its explainer also links the day to Krishna lifting Govardhan hill. In 2026, Drik's New Delhi calendar puts the Gujarati New Year on Tuesday 10 November, with Govardhan Puja and Annakut on the same day.
Notice the gap: 9 November in India is the Amavasya day after Lakshmi Puja, so the new year starts a day later than people sometimes expect. For how other regions count their new year, see Indian regional calendars and their new years. For the temple side of the day, see annakut-at-hindu-temples-explained.
Families and businesses abroad
Many Gujarati families outside India keep Chopda Pujan, often at a temple rather than at home. One reported example: the South Asian Herald described a collective Chopda Pujan at the BAPS Swaminarayan temple in Flushing, New York, on Diwali night 2024. According to that report, more than 600 people attended, children brought school books, business owners brought account books and some brought laptops. The three pujas to Lakshmi, Ganesha and Sharda were done one after another.
If you live abroad, a few practical points:
- Use your own city's panchang. Diwali timings are worked out from local sunset, so India's times do not convert. The date can differ from India's too, so check your own city.
- Ask your temple early about its arrangements for the evening.
- Your tax year stays the same. The new chopda year is a religious marker. It does not change your country's financial year or filing dates.
- Fire safety. If you light a diya beside the books in a flat, see our note on diyas and smoke alarms.
If you would like a priest to lead the puja, booking a Hindu priest abroad covers what to ask. For the full home ritual, see lakshmi-puja-at-home-step-by-step.
Questions people ask
Is Chopda Pujan different from Lakshmi Puja? It is the same Diwali-night Lakshmi Puja, with the new account books added. Drik Panchang treats the names as interchangeable in Gujarat.
Can I do Chopda Pujan without a business? Yes. Sharda Puja is also kept by students and households. Any book of your own, a diary or a school notebook, can be placed before the deities.
Why is Bestu Varas two days after Diwali in 2026? Because the Amavasya runs into 9 November in India, and the new year starts on Pratipada, which falls on 10 November.
What should I write on the new book? Swastika and "shubh labh" are the marks most sources mention. The Flushing report mentions "Shri Sava". Families differ, so follow yours.
Is Muhurat Trading part of the puja? No. It is a token stock-exchange session held for the occasion. It is not a religious requirement.
About this article: it is for general information only, researched from the public sources listed above. It may contain errors or leave out local customs, and it is not religious, medical, legal or financial advice. Practices vary by family, region and tradition, so please follow your family pandit's guidance. Spotted a mistake? Tell us on WhatsApp and we'll correct it.